Shade (film)

Last updated
Shade
Shade03.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDamian Nieman
Written byDamian Nieman
Produced byChris Hammond
Ted Hartley
David Schnepp
Merv Griffin
Starring
Music byJames Johnzen
Production
companies
Distributed byDEJ Productions
Release dates
  • April 25, 2003 (2003-04-25)(United States Film Festival)
  • April 9, 2004 (2004-04-09)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million [1]
Box office$458,144 [1] [2]

Shade is a 2003 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed and written by Damian Nieman and starring Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Thandiwe Newton, Jamie Foxx, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone. The film follows a trio of grifters who attempt to set up a legendary card shark nicknamed "the Dean". The film had a limited release in the United States on May 7, 2004.

Contents

Plot

In an underground mob poker game, a man is revealed to be cheating with a hole card[ clarification needed ] when the game gets robbed. He manages to defend himself as a huge gunfight breaks out, leaving all dead but him and one gangster. They get into a Mexican standoff.

Hustlers Tiffany and Charlie Miller meet up with poker player Larry Jennings as he's winning a game. They agree to a partnership to work a game with a potential profit of $20,000. Larry meets the third member of the team, Vernon, a card mechanic who is working as a blackjack dealer. In a flashback, Vernon switches out the contents of a six deck shoe as his accomplices take the casino for $40,000. That night, as Vernon and Charlie wait for Larry, corrupt cop Scarne shakes them down. Larry arrives and agrees to team with them after seeing Vernon's skills - in the game, he will bet high on Vernon's crooked deals.

At the game, Larry gets impatient with the slow action and, on his own deal, gets over $100,000 in the pot. He loses; the money he bet belongs to a mobster named Malini, who sends his enforcers Marlo and Nate to retrieve him. They take him to the house, revealing it had been stripped bare - everyone at the game was in on the con. They then take Larry to an airport and kill him.

The man and the gangster (from the first scene) agree to cut cards for the money. The gangster cuts a King and the man cuts the Ace of spades. They reach for their guns; the man gets his first and kills the gangster, whose blood splatters on the ace. It is revealed that the story is an urban legend about Dean "the Dean" Stevens, a legendary card shark and player. The crew talk about taking the Dean down at a game with a $250,000 buy-in and total stakes of at least $2,000,000. It is also revealed that Vernon and Tiffany had been lovers until Vernon's sudden departure as a result of a botched job. Tiffany became involved romantically with Charlie afterwards.

The next day, Malini's enforcers track down Charlie to a restaurant and Marlo demands the return of Malini's money. Charlie agrees to pay back $100,000, but Nate pulls a gun and a gunfight ensues. Tiffany arrives in time to kill Nate, but Marlo escapes. Charlie, Vernon and Tiffany escape and hide out with The Professor, Vernon's former mentor, who is suspicious of Charlie and insists Vernon is better than him. Scarne arrives at the murder scene and realizes that the three are involved from a description by the witnesses. Meanwhile, The Dean arrives and meets up with an old flame, Eve, expressing his desire to retire from playing.

The three arrive at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for the game, where they discover that the host is Malini. Vernon and the Dean bust the other players and agree to play five card stud. Eve arrives, and they take a break. The three talk about the trouble Vernon is having and Tiffany speculates the cards are marked. Vernon discovers the Dean is using a "juice deck," a deck marked to be readable when one's eyes are unfocused.

In the final hand, Vernon mucks a card and deals the hand. He deals the Dean two pair, Kings and Queens, and himself a pair of Jacks with a 7 in the hole for the Dean to see. The Dean goes all in, and when Vernon is $50,000 short, Charlie and Tiffany make up the shortfall so he can call the bet. Before the cards are turned up, Marlo enters the room. Identifying the three as the team who conned Larry, Malini's muscle pull their guns and Tiffany pulls hers, in which Scarne enters with his gun drawn. The Dean diffuses the tense situation by insisting that the hand be completed. Vernon swaps out his hole 7 for a third Jack, which would beat the two pair he'd dealt the Dean. The room is stunned when the Dean turns up a third Queen to take the hand and win the game. Malini tells the three they can leave but gently threatens them to stay clear of the Los Angeles rackets.

Charlie splits up the partnership with Vernon and, after Marlo's revelation that he was tipped off by Tiffany about shaking down Larry, with her as well. As Vernon sits alone in a diner, The Dean, Eve and Scarne enter, revealing the game was all an elaborate setup by the four of them to con Charlie and Tiffany. They split the take. As the Dean leaves, he pauses to flip the blood-stained Ace of spades to Vernon, confirming the urban legend to be fact. Vernon starts to leave a $500 tip for the waitress, but rethinks it and leaves her $100, generous but frugal as he leaves the table.

Cast

Music

The Shade soundtrack features three original works, "Penumbra," "Moon Rocks" and "Red Reflections", composed and recorded by jazz composer and flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny. The band The Golden Ratio, together with composer Ken Rangkuty, wrote two original works, "Licentious" and "Never", for the soundtrack. [3]

Release

Theatrical

The film was produced by RKO Pictures in 2003 and released in the USA on 21 June 2003 at the CineVegas International Film Festival. [4] It began its limited theatrical run on 9 April 2004. [5]

Home media

The film was initially released on DVD and VHS by distributor DEJ Productions. [6] It later received a widescreen release courtesy of Warner Home Video. [5]

In December 2019, the film was released on Blu-ray for the first time by MVD Entertainment Group, as a part of their Marquee Collection. [7]

Reception

Box office

Shade was open for only five weeks in six theaters, and it grossed $458,144 in worldwide ticket sales. [1] [2]

Critical response

The film holds a 67% rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 15 critics. [8] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 40 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin rummy</span> Card game

Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game variant of rummy. It has enjoyed widespread popularity as both a social and a gambling game, especially during the mid twentieth century, and remains today one of the most widely played two-player card games.

<i>The Santa Clause</i> 1994 film directed by John Pasquin

The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. The first installment in The Santa Clause franchise, it stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his supposed death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they go to the North Pole where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

<i>Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels</i> 1998 film by Guy Ritchie

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 neo-noir black comedy crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. It follows a heist involving a confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three-card brag, prompting him to pay off his debts by enlisting his friends to help him rob a small-time gang operating out of the apartment next door. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham, Steven Mackintosh, Vinnie Jones, and Sting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Card manipulation</span> Branch of magical illusion that deals with sleight of hand involving playing cards

Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. Some of the most recognized names in this field include Dai Vernon, Tony Slydini, Ed Marlo, S.W. Erdnase, Richard Turner, John Scarne, Ricky Jay and René Lavand. Before becoming world-famous for his escapes, Houdini billed himself as "The King of Cards". Among the more well-known card tricks relying on card manipulation are Ambitious Card, and Three-card Monte, a common street hustle also known as Find the Lady.

<i>Layer Cake</i> (film) 2004 British crime film by Matthew Vaughn

Layer Cake is a 2004 British crime drama thriller film directed by Matthew Vaughn, in his directorial debut. The screenplay was adapted by J. J. Connolly from his 2000 novel of the same name. The film was produced by Adam Bohling, David Reid and Vaughn, with Stephen Marks as executive producer. The title refers to the social strata, especially in the British criminal underworld. The film's plot revolves around a London-based criminal, played by Daniel Craig, who works in the cocaine trade and wishes to leave the drug business. The film also features Tom Hardy, Michael Gambon, Colm Meaney, and Sienna Miller. Craig's character is unnamed in the film and is listed in the credits as "XXXX".

<i>Road Trip</i> (2000 film) 2000 American film

Road Trip is a 2000 American road sex comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Scot Armstrong and Phillips. The film stars Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Paulo Costanzo, and DJ Qualls, with Amy Smart, Tom Green, Rachel Blanchard, and Fred Ward in supporting roles. The film follows Josh Parker (Meyer), who enlists three of his college friends to embark on an 1,800-mile (2,900 km) road trip to retrieve an illicit tape mistakenly mailed to his girlfriend, Tiffany (Blanchard).

<i>Diary of a Mad Black Woman</i> 2005 film directed by Darren Grant

Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. Inspired by the play of the same name, it marks Perry's feature film debut and is the first entry in the Madea film franchise. Starring Perry alongside Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cicely Tyson, it tells the story of a woman who is thrown out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary and subsequently moves in with her grandmother, and is the only film written, but not directed, by Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dai Vernon</span> Canadian magician (1894–1992)

David Frederick Wingfield Verner, better known by his stage names Dai Vernon or The Professor, was a Canadian magician.

<i>D3: The Mighty Ducks</i> 1996 film by Robert Lieberman

D3: The Mighty Ducks is a 1996 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Robert Lieberman and sequel to the 1994 film D2: The Mighty Ducks. It is the third and final installment in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Jeffrey Nordling, Heidi Kling, and Joss Ackland. Estevez, Kling, Ackland, Joshua Jackson, Elden Henson, Shaun Weiss, Matt Doherty, Garette Ratliff Henson, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Larusso, Aaron Lohr, Ty O'Neal, Kenan Thompson, Mike Vitar, Colombe Jacobsen, and Justin Wong reprise their roles from the previous films in the series with Scott Whyte, who played Gunnar in the second film, returning in a different role.

<i>Revolver</i> (2005 film) 2005 fim by Guy Ritchie

Revolver is a 2005 action thriller film co-written and directed by Guy Ritchie, and starring Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore and André Benjamin. The film centres on a revenge-seeking confidence trickster whose weapon is a universal formula that guarantees victory to its user, when applied to any game or confidence trick.

<i>American Gangster</i> (film) 2007 film by Ridley Scott

American Gangster is a 2007 American biographical crime film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by Steven Zaillian. The film is loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts. The film stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, with co-stars Ted Levine, John Ortiz, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Lymari Nadal and Cuba Gooding Jr.

"Alliances" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series The Wire. Written by Ed Burns with a story by David Simon & Ed Burns, and directed by David Platt, it originally aired on October 8, 2006.

<i>RocknRolla</i> 2008 film by Guy Ritchie

RocknRolla is a 2008 crime comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandiwe Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell, Jeremy Piven and Chris Bridges. It was released in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2008, reaching number one in the UK box office in its first week of release. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

"React Quotes" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by David Mills from a story by David Simon & David Mills and was directed by Agnieszka Holland. It first aired on February 3, 2008.

"The Dickensian Aspect" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the HBO series The Wire. The episode was written by Ed Burns and was directed by Seith Mann. It aired on February 10, 2008.

<i>Charlie Chan in Shanghai</i> 1935 film by James Tinling

Charlie Chan in Shanghai is the ninth Charlie Chan film produced by Fox Film Corporation with the title character played by Warner Oland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close-up magic</span> Magic performed in an intimate setting

Close-up magic is magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than 3 meters from one's audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table.

Walter Irving Scott was an American musician, cardsharp and amateur magician. His glowing reputation among magicians and card men revolves around his time as a card cheat and a single demonstration of sleight-of-hand to some of the era's best magicians in New York in 1930. He lived out his last years in Rhode Island as a music teacher. Scott spent his formative years perfecting several difficult sleights of card manipulation in order to work as a cardsharp in card games throughout America. He participated in several different types of swindles and hustles. Eventually turning to a music career he was asked to perform one more demonstration. This single event created a legend within the magic community that continues to this day.

<i>Seven Psychopaths</i> 2012 film by Martin McDonagh

Seven Psychopaths is a 2012 satirical crime comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh and starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken, with Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, and Željko Ivanek in supporting roles. The film marks the second collaboration among McDonagh, Farrell, and Ivanek, following the director's In Bruges (2008). It is a co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom.

<i>Hit and Run</i> (2012 film) 2012 American film

Hit and Run is a 2012 American action comedy film written by Dax Shepard, with David Palmer and Shepard co-directing. The film stars Shepard and Kristen Bell, with Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Arnold, and Bradley Cooper, and follows a man who has been placed in Federal Witness Protection going on the run with his girlfriend to escape a mobster. It was released on August 22, 2012, received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $16 million.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Shade". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  2. 1 2 "Shade (2004) International Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  3. "SoundtrackINFO: Shade Soundtrack". www.soundtrackinfo.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  4. Harris, Dana (May 23, 2003). "CineVegas skeds 'Octane,' 'Shade'". Variety. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Shade". AllMovie . Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  6. "Beyond Blockbuster: DEJ Works Outside the Spotlight for Its Indie Deals". IndieWire. June 22, 2004. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  7. "Shade Blu-ray (MVD Marquee Collection)".
  8. "Shade". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  9. "Shade". Metacritic .